Inherited Watch Checklist

Print or save one copy of this checklist for each inherited watch. Begin with preservation and authority—not polishing, servicing, or an offer. Write “unknown” instead of guessing, attach extra pages when necessary, and keep this record with the photographs and documents.

Case file

File/reference name: ____________

Date started: ____ Prepared by: ______

Current custodian: ____ Current location: ______

Estate/family matter reference, if any: ____________

1. Secure the watch as found

• [ ] I placed the watch in a dry, secure location away from loose metal objects, magnets, children, pets, and casual handling.
• [ ] I kept the watch head, bracelet, straps, links, buckle, boxes, papers, tags, receipts, service records, and loose parts together.
• [ ] I did not throw away a damaged strap, empty box, envelope, receipt, or apparently replaced component.

Vintage luminous-material safety: An older self-luminous dial or hands may contain radium even if they no longer glow. The US EPA says intact radioactive antiques are usually not a health risk when in good condition, but warns not to take apart radium watches or instrument dials. If the crystal is broken, luminous material is loose, or the watch is already open, stop handling it unnecessarily; do not brush, scrape, blow, vacuum, or open it, and seek qualified local radiation-safety and conservation advice. See the EPA guidance. - [ ] I photographed the watch and surrounding items before rearranging them. - [ ] I recorded who found the watch, where it was found, and who has handled it since. - [ ] I did not post the full serial number, address, identity document, or complete certificate publicly.

Found by: ____ Date found: ______

Found at/in: __________

Items found with it: ___________

Stop and obtain qualified help if any applies

• [ ] Moisture, fogging, droplets, rust, green residue, or a strong chemical smell is visible.
• [ ] A hand, marker, crystal fragment, screw, or other part appears loose.
• [ ] The crown is stuck, missing, unusually resistant, or grinding.
• [ ] A quartz battery may have leaked or has been left installed for an unknown period.
• [ ] The case is open, badly deformed, or no longer protects the movement.
• [ ] A bracelet pin, spring bar, clasp, or strap may fail if the watch is lifted or worn.

If any box is checked, do not wind, set, shake, test, wash, heat, oil, or wear the watch. Photograph the issue and consult a qualified watchmaker with appropriate experience.

2. Confirm ownership and authority

• [ ] I identified the deceased or previous owner.
• [ ] I checked the will, trust, estate inventory, gift record, or other relevant ownership document.
• [ ] I identified the executor, administrator, trustee, beneficiary, or current legal owner under the applicable process.
• [ ] The person requesting an appraisal, service, consignment, or sale has authority to do so.
• [ ] Any disagreement among beneficiaries or family members is recorded and unresolved action has paused.
• [ ] Liens, insurance claims, theft reports, divorce orders, business ownership, or other title questions have been considered where relevant.
• [ ] A local estate, tax, or legal professional has been consulted if the authority or required valuation basis is unclear.

Apparent owner/estate: _________

Person authorized to act: ____________

Evidence of authority: _________

Restrictions or unresolved questions: ________

Do not sell merely because you physically possess the watch. Possession, estate authority, beneficial ownership, and clear title can be different questions.

3. Create an as-found inventory

• [ ] Every item has a photograph before cleaning or rearrangement.
• [ ] Small parts are labeled and stored so they cannot scratch or become separated from the watch.
• [ ] Documents are scanned front and back; envelopes and attached notes are included.
• [ ] Personal details are preserved in the private file and redacted from copies used for initial outreach.

4. Photograph the evidence

Use diffuse neutral light, accurate color, and the actual watch. Do not use filters or another seller’s images.

• [ ] Full dial, photographed straight on
• [ ] Dial from several angles to show texture, printing, lume, marks, and crystal distortion
• [ ] Right case side, crown, and pushers
• [ ] Left case side
• [ ] Lugs and end-link fit from each corner
• [ ] Case back and every engraving
• [ ] Bezel and crystal edge
• [ ] Bracelet front and back
• [ ] Clasp exterior and interior markings
• [ ] Strap and buckle, including wear or signatures
• [ ] Hallmarks and visible reference or serial markings, with a private unredacted copy
• [ ] Box, guarantee, receipt, tags, links, service papers, and removed parts
• [ ] Scratches, dents, corrosion, cracks, missing material, and every known defect
• [ ] One image showing the complete set together

Photo folder/location: __________

Do not open the case or remove the bracelet with improvised tools. If a professional opens it for inspection, request movement and inside-case photographs plus a written custody record.

5. Preserve the family history

Interview people separately before a shared story becomes more certain through repetition.

• [ ] I recorded who may have bought or received the watch.
• [ ] I recorded where and approximately when it was acquired.
• [ ] I asked about military, employment, sporting, presentation, travel, or family-event connections without suggesting an answer.
• [ ] I located dated photographs that show the watch with an owner.
• [ ] I recorded known service centers, watchmakers, replaced parts, accidents, and periods of storage.
• [ ] I distinguished direct documents from family memory and later inference.
• [ ] I treated an engraving as a research lead, not proof by itself.

Unresolved provenance questions: ____________

6. Do not erase evidence

Until the watch is identified and specialists have advised on the intended outcome:

• [ ] Do not polish, buff, lap, rebrush, plate, laser weld, or “touch up” the case or bracelet.
• [ ] Do not clean, refinish, repaint, or replace the dial.
• [ ] Do not relume or replace hands merely to improve appearance.
• [ ] Do not replace the bezel, crown, pushers, crystal, bracelet, clasp, or movement parts for sale.
• [ ] Do not wash the watch or assume its original water-resistance rating still applies.
• [ ] Do not force the crown, repeatedly run complications, or test accuracy for days when condition is unknown.
• [ ] Do not discard any part removed during later authorized service.
• [ ] Do not remove a family, military, presentation, or ownership engraving.

If intervention becomes necessary to stop active damage, request the minimum stabilizing work, a written scope, before-and-after photographs, and return of original parts where safe and permitted.

7. Identify the watch

Write unknown where necessary.

• [ ] Identification is based on the exact object, not only visual similarity in search results.
• [ ] Reference and serial numbers are not confused.
• [ ] Original-to-watch, genuine service, period-correct replacement, aftermarket, and uncertain components are separated.
• [ ] “Authentic” is not being used to imply complete originality.
• [ ] Any manufacturer archive document is understood within its stated scope.

For example, Patek Philippe describes its Extract from the Archives as a transcription of features and sale date from its records, while its FAQ distinguishes an extract from the original Certificate of Origin. Other makers and archive services have their own rules.

8. Record condition by component

• [ ] “Running” is not described as “working perfectly.”
• [ ] Water resistance is not represented without a relevant current test.
• [ ] “Never polished,” “all original,” “mint,” and “full set” are not used without adequate evidence and definition.
• [ ] Known defects and replacement parts will be disclosed to every valuer and buyer.

9. Choose qualified opinions

The right expertise depends on the maker, era, complication, and purpose.

• [ ] At least one specialist regularly handles this maker and period.
• [ ] A watchmaker asked to inspect has relevant vintage or caliber experience and is not automatically authorized to repair.
• [ ] A potentially rare, complicated, or provenance-rich watch receives an appropriate auction or high-level specialist opinion before alteration.
• [ ] An estate, insurance, tax, litigation, or family-division valuation is requested from someone qualified for that purpose and jurisdiction.
• [ ] Identification and commercial offers are recorded separately.

Both Christie’s and Sotheby’s describe online routes for submitting photographs and documents for an initial watch estimate. Submission does not guarantee acceptance, a sale, or suitability for an estate or insurance purpose.

10. Define the value you need

• [ ] Immediate dealer cash bid
• [ ] Expected private-sale net proceeds
• [ ] Auction estimate and expected consignor net
• [ ] Fair-market value for a specified legal or tax purpose
• [ ] Insurance replacement value
• [ ] Family division or buyout value
• [ ] Conservation or service decision, not a sale value
• [ ] Other: ______________

Valuation date: ____ Currency: ______

Jurisdiction/purpose: __________

Do not substitute original MSRP, a current dealer ask, a marketplace listing, auction hammer, all-in auction result, and seller proceeds for one another.

11. Compare offers and routes

• [ ] Comparable offers were requested close together in time with the same disclosures.
• [ ] Retail asking prices were not treated as completed sales.
• [ ] Auction buyer’s premium was not confused with the estate’s payout.
• [ ] Shipping, insurance, service, authentication, taxes, delay, and risk are included in the net comparison.
• [ ] No one pressured the family to accept before another qualified opinion could be obtained.

Use the selling-channel chooser and net-proceeds calculator to make assumptions visible. They are educational tools, not appraisals.

12. Make the family decision

• [ ] Every decision-maker has seen the evidence file and the same written offers.
• [ ] Sentimental value is discussed separately from sale value.
• [ ] A beneficiary who wants to keep the watch has a fair, agreed process for doing so.
• [ ] Engravings, photographs, documents, and family stories will remain connected even if the watch is sold.
• [ ] Any division, gift, retention, service, or sale decision is recorded in writing.
• [ ] Applicable estate, tax, insurance, and reporting obligations have been checked by the appropriate person.

Decision: ☐ Keep ☐ Gift/divide ☐ Service for use ☐ Conserve ☐ Sell ☐ Defer

Reason and agreed valuation basis: __________

Approved by/date: ____________

13. Document custody, shipping, and payment

Before the watch leaves the family:

• [ ] The recipient’s identity, business, address, and instructions were verified independently.
• [ ] A dated condition report lists the watch, serial/reference where appropriate, accessories, documents, and damage.
• [ ] Photographs record the exact handover or packed contents.
• [ ] Written terms state who bears loss or damage at every stage.
• [ ] The carrier and policy explicitly cover watches/valuables for the required value and route.
• [ ] Tracking, signature, packaging, and platform-address rules are followed.
• [ ] No shipment is based only on an email or screenshot claiming payment.
• [ ] Payment method, currency, finality, timing, deductions, and account details are confirmed through a trusted channel.
• [ ] Return, dispute, warranty, unsold, and withdrawal responsibilities are understood.
• [ ] The family retains copies of the agreement, receipt, transfer record, and final payment evidence.

Custody transferred to: ____ Date/time: ______

Purpose: ☐ Inspection ☐ Service ☐ Consignment ☐ Auction ☐ Sale ☐ Other

Insurance/carrier/reference: __________

Final outcome and payment date: ____________

Final notes

This checklist is general educational information. It is not an appraisal, authentication, condition report, title opinion, or legal, tax, insurance, or estate advice. Requirements vary by watch and jurisdiction. Preserve the evidence and use qualified help where the object or decision justifies it.